Gluey potato and leek soup

[ChineseChou]

Help! What do I do with gluey potato and leek soup? Can I thin it out with lots (I already tried some) of water/broth? Or do I just start over? What did I do wrong? I suspect I cooked it too long and then manhandled it. The flavor is good. I used ham hocks to make a broth, then added potatos and leeks sauteed in bacon grease.

[soupkitten]

once the potatoes turn gluey in the blender or food processor it's all over. same reason lots of mashed potatoes recipes call for hand mashing (or you can use a stand mixer). overprocessing=glue.

it shouldn't matter how long you cooked the potatoes-- they *should* be cooked long enough that they start to fall apart on their own and thicken the soup. next time use an immersion blender right in the pot *very* briefly, if you have one, or break up the potatoes in the pot using the back of a spoon or a potato masher. when in doubt, underprocess the potatoes--they will continue to break up on their own. you can simmer this soup forever. low starch reds are good for this soup, although you can mix different types of potatoes if that is what you have on hand.

[C. Hamster]

Once it's gluey, not much will help.

Potatos of any type will get gluey if you process them in a food processor or blender, since the sharp blades liquify the starch molecules.

Better to food mill or rice the potatoes.

[meatn3]

I use a foley mill that was my grandmothers & never have a problem.
They still make them!
http://www.lehmans.com/shopping/produ...

[karykat]

Mashed potatos can definitely get gluey if they are overworked. So that is what I am suspecting is at the root (!!!) of the problem here.

Along with the good thoughts about potato variety.

[bw2082]

Maybe you can pass i through a sieve and thin it with some cream or water/broth

[grant.cook]

Did you use a blender to break up the potatoes, or later on to puree the soup?

[ChineseChou]

I used the blender to puree the soup. And of course, I used Idahos. Oh, well, I will know better next time.

[grant.cook]

I've done potato soups where I used a bit of both - Idahos and Red Bliss.. each added something. Based on a recipe in CI..

[vanessao]

The potato variety can make a difference - and I think that the food processor is a no-no (not saying you used it, of course).

[ChineseChou]

Well, I used a blender (that's what the recipe recommended). You think that may have been it? How else do you get it smooth, though?

[renz]

How long did you have the blender going? I suspect that it's like mash, if you work it too much, the gluten starts going. I use russets for the soup if that's all I have, but I just pulse it in the blender. Sometimes I just use the masher right in the pot, which works well if you like a chunkier texture.

Unfortunately, I have no idea how to fix the batch you have.

[scubadoo97]

Yes, always better to stay away from high starch potatoes like russet/idaho and use reds or yukon golds